The Coin-Op Catastrophe Collection
We'll try and stop the madness, maybe amuse some and hopefully stop further destruction of any classic coin-op game.
This collection of bad repair and even worst coin operated game restoration photographs and stories are here to show the world just how out of control things can get with inexperienced game collectors / restorers and even hack game restoration shops.We will feature in the 'What's Weak this Week' section some pictures of what we see inside of games during our daily repair and restorations with related stories.
The 'The Lame List' will feature photos of parts that have been 'hacked' by game collectors, route owners and coin-op 'shopping shops'.
We will include some amusing background stories, what was hopefully learned by the mistake or hack repair and even what we think about all the mind numbing coin-op disasters we hear about or see first hand.
This page will be built by Pinball Medic, the general world wide coin-op collectors community and route people. If you have a picture or even just a story about a really unique repair or game restoration technique, please send us a Contact form (Coin-Op Catastrophe submission form coming very soon). Don't forget to include any photos with your tell (we will supply you with an email link for your photos). We will add them as soon as we can to this page and give you credit for the information (if you want credit).
All contact info is kept completely confidential. We will only post the first or last name and/or the state/country were the submission originated (if given permission).
Note: Postings and stories about auction companies or personal gripes can't legally be posted here and therefore can't be accepted. The number of stories would be too numerous anyway.
PBM or PM=A Pinball Medic submission.
Coin-Op Catastrophe
A plumber, while replacing a water heater ventilation duct, misstep and fail through the ceiling in this freakish accident. Thankfully, he only fell on the replaceable standard sized playfield glass on this wood rail flipperless pinball. There would have been no way to find a good scoreboard glass for this rare 'Bally Reserve' pinball game.
Photos and story where submitted by an Austin, Texas customer.
No one was hurt in this accident. Only the glass will Rest In Pieces.
Photos and story where submitted by an Austin, Texas customer.
No one was hurt in this accident. Only the glass will Rest In Pieces.
What a mess this caused all over the game owner's antiques, including a mechanical 5 cent slot machine on the right. |
Luckily, it was just the playfield glass and not the scoreboard glass. |
 Close up view of the damage. |
We're kind of hoping the diameter of the ceiling hole does not match the plumber's.
(Insert plumber's crack or hole jokes here.)
'What's Weak this Week'
While not exactly a coin-op catastrophe this is certainly weak.
We got so lost during a recent field service call we ended up in Purgatory.
This Texas park is right next to Hell's Hills.
This shows proof everything you can imagine has a town, lake, river or park named after it in Texas.
While not exactly a coin-op catastrophe this is certainly weak.
We got so lost during a recent field service call we ended up in Purgatory.
This Texas park is right next to Hell's Hills.
This shows proof everything you can imagine has a town, lake, river or park named after it in Texas.
The wire at the bottom of this photo shows a very thin #18 gauge wire used to connect two large #14 gauge wires used on the high current General Illumination circuit on an Eight Ball Deluxe Limited Edition pinball game. The bridging wire is way too small to carry the current load of the G. I. circuit and got so hot you could not touch the wire when the game was turned on. Even worse, the small jumper wire was merely wrapped around the two wires near the transformer and was not wire nutted, soldered in or even taped. Whomever did this put a loose splice (wire nut) in the middle of the way too long jumper wire that ended up hanging right above the fuses to other game circuits (jumper moved to take photo).This situation could have either caused a fire in the computer server room where this machine was located or at the very least shorted out the transformer or even the game boards.
We are surely going to find more of this unique wiring method inside of this game and others we field service.
Submitted by PBM - Austin, Texas
'The LAME LIST'
We did an in-home service call on a Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles video arcade game. The controls were not working and when we went to remove the control panel we found beer cans (cans, bottles and paper six pack cartons) laying on top of the plugged in power supply at the bottom of the game (A major fire hazard)!
We also found two used Bongs for smoking weed made out of plastic vacuum cleaner attachments that included the original floor lint inside each attachment. This was all removed in front of a very embarrassed game owner.
We probably got his kid grounded forever.
We wished we had taken some photos of the Bongs. Does lint add to the BUZZ you get from smoking marijuana?
Submitted by PBM - Austin, Texas
This game's owner tried to do some playfield Mylar removal using the "hot" or in this case the "way too hot" method. He took no time to do this the right way. Instead of using a hair dryer and some Goo-Gone to remove the Mylar and glue (This technique is a lost art form), he used a paint stripper hot air gun!
While this guy has no brains at all, it took a pair of really big pinballs to post these photos and admit to doing this to his good looking High Speed pinball machine.
We solute him for showing the worst technique for Mylar removal to the world.
Submission - This is a 'classic' R.G.P. post.
 Before the flames |
 After - The worst flame job we have ever seen. |
What we can't figure out is why, after the first section caught fire, this 'technique' was repeated.
Poor restoration education can be costly.
While doing a routine refurbishment, we took off the back box cover and immediately knew we had an addition to this page.
Other then being out of focus, can you spot what's wrong with this picture?
Click on the photo to reveal the problem or go here for a closer view
This game was "shopped out" by a large coin-op retailer from Chicago. The birth place of pinball!
This issue was running on the game for years and for some reason didn't short out!
It was being insulated by nothing but dirt. We just can't justify this kind of "repair".
Yet another reason to believe the term "shopped out" should never be associated with the term "refurbished"
Bad Jokes!
Q) What is a transistor?
A) A Priest who wears Nun's clothing.
Q) What do you call a lawyer who has gone bad?
A) Senator.
Copyright 2003-2010 pinballmedic.net
All Rights Reserved
Poor restoration education can be costly.
While doing a routine refurbishment, we took off the back box cover and immediately knew we had an addition to this page.
Other then being out of focus, can you spot what's wrong with this picture?
Click on the photo to reveal the problem or go here for a closer view
This game was "shopped out" by a large coin-op retailer from Chicago. The birth place of pinball!
This issue was running on the game for years and for some reason didn't short out!
It was being insulated by nothing but dirt. We just can't justify this kind of "repair".
Yet another reason to believe the term "shopped out" should never be associated with the term "refurbished"
Bad Jokes!Q) What is a transistor?
A) A Priest who wears Nun's clothing.
Q) What do you call a lawyer who has gone bad?
A) Senator.
Copyright 2003-2010 pinballmedic.net
All Rights Reserved